In a letter Friday, the Georgia Republicans told FAA Administrator Michael Huerta the furloughs are poised to create thousands of delays at airports across the country and the agency should try finding a way to cut costs without impacting efficiency or safety. Isakson and Chambliss say they don’t believe the FAA has pursued every opportunity to save money and asked that in the future the agency inform their offices before such sweeping decisions are made.

Automatic spending cuts have moved the agency to close contract air traffic control towers and reduce staffing levels in others to meet a federally mandated $637 million budget cut.